Safety-appliance step



Nov. 13 1923.i

J. l'H. HARRISON Efjr AAL.

SAFETY AFPLIANC'E.- STEP Filed May ll, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 aulo: ne W(Nov. 13 1923. n 1,474,257

J. H. HARRISON E l AL SAFETY APPLIANCE STEP I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May11. 1925 Patented Nov. 13, l923.

A;. h l El JESSE E. HARRSON AND MATHEW WALKER, 0F MZNLY, IOWA.

SAFETY-APPLIANCE STEP.

Application led May 11, 1923. Serial No. 638,295.

This invention relates to railway carV steps` the primary object of theinvention being to provide an extension step so constructed and mountedas to be automatically moved into and out of operation byl the movementof the usual vestibule floor door.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this characterwhich will hold the extension step in a position adjacent to thelowermost stationary step of the car so that the same will be held outof view and in a position to prevent damage of the step by its Contactwith switch controlling levers or the like mechanism positioned at thesides of railway tracks.

'A still further object of the invention is to provide a movable stepand operating means that may be readily and easily applied to the usualcar step construction now in use. eliminating the necessity of makingextensive alterations in the usual step construction to install thesame.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear asthedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within thescope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view disclosing a car step equipped withan extension constructed in accordance with the invention. i

Figure 2 is a rear elevational view thereof.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the reference character 5designates the side members of a car step construction, the stepsections being indicated at 6.

The reference character 7 designates the usual vestibule floor door of acar that usually swings in a vertical plane topermit the use of thesteps.

The door 7 is mounted on the shaft 8 that moves in the bearings 9 sothat move nzent of the door 7 will result in .a relativey movement ofthe shaft 8. At one end of the shaft 8 is an arm 10 securedpto the shaftand extending downwardly therefrom the arm having pivotal connectionwith the link member that in turn is connected to the uppermost arm 12of the lazy' tong 13 through the link 141.

Supported at each end of the step construction and secured to the sidemembers 5 thereof, are the brackets 15 that are' formed with bearings 16to accommodate the shaft 17 that carries the segmental gears 18 at theends thereof, the segmental gears being keyed or otherwise secured totheshaft 17 to move therewith.

The'lower end of the lazy tong 13 is pivotally mounted on the Vshaft 17the lowermost arm in the lazy tong which is indicated at 17 beingconnected to the segmental. gear 18 at one end of the shaft* 17, wherebywhen the lazy tong is collapsed or extended, movement is imparted to thesegmental gear 18 associated therewith.

The shaft 19 is also' supported by the brackets 15 and carries gears 20at the outer ends thereof, while at a point intermediate the ends of theshaft 19 is secured the `pinion 21. Associated with the shaftV l19 is ashaft 22 that is also supported by the brackets 15, the outer ends ofthe lshaft 22 extending beyond the brackets 15 as clearly shown byFiemme-2 of the drawings. rllhis shaft 22 supports the racks 23 formedwith elongated openings 211 permitting of movementV of the racks, theteeth :thereof being in mesh with Vthe teeth of the segmental gears 18so that movement of the gears results in a relative sliding movement ofthe rack bars 28.

A s shown, the gears 20 are also in mesh with the teeth of the rack bars23 so that as the rack bars move, the gears 20 are also rotated rotatingthe shaft 19, on which they are mounted. Mounted under the steps at. apoint intermediate the side edges' thereof, is an operating arm 25 thathas its.

intermediate portion supported by means 0f the pulley 26 mounted Vin thebracket 27, the lower end of the arm 25 being curved slightly upward at28, where the same has pivotall connection with the extension step 29 asat 30.

^ Supporting arms 31 also have pivotal connection with the extensionstep 29, the arms 81 being formed with elongated openings 32 toaccommodate the stub shafts 33 that are positioned within the cut outportions 34 formed in the outer surfaces of the side members 5 of thesteps. A

Formed at the opposite end of the arm 25 is a rack bar 35, the teeththereof being in mesh with the pinion 2l so that as the pinion 2l isrotated, the racl bar 35 that is also moved to move the arm 25 andextension step supported thereby into and out of operation.

In the operation of the device assun'iing that the door 7 has been movedto its open position, as shown by Figure l Vof the drawings'. It isobvious that if the door 7' is moved downwardly to its closed position,the arm l() moves upwardly moving the lazy tong to its extendedposition, with the result that the segmental gears 18 are moved in thedirection of the arrow in Figure l of the drawings. Y

It is obvious that as the segmental gears move .as indicated, the rackbars 23 are also moved in the direction of the arrow, rotating the shaft19. As the shaft 19 rotates, the Vpinion 2l is also rotated, moving triearm 25 upwardly which in turn carries the step 29 to a position in closeproximity to the lowermost section 6 where the same is pro- Vwhen thedoor is moved, an extension step,

and means controlled by the movement of the lazy tong for raising and.lowering the step.`

2; In combination with the vestibule floor door of a car, an extensionstep operating mechanism including a shaft on which. the door ismounted, a lazy tong construction having connection with the shaft,segmental `gears adapted to operate by the movement vof the klazy tong,rack bars movable by the movement ofthe segmental gears, an extensionstep, and means operated by the movement of the rack bars to move theextension step into and out of operation.

3. In combination with the vestibule floor door of a car, an extensionstep operating mechanism including a shaft on which the door issupported, bracket members, a shaft supported by the bracket members, alazy tong, means for connecting the lazy tong 'and shaft, supporting thedoor, said lazy tong having connection with the shaft supported in thebrackets, segmental gears mounted at the end Vof the shaft supported bythe brackets, an arm, an extension step pivotally supi ported at thelower end of the arm, and means for transmitting movement of thesegmental gears to the arm for raising and lowering the extension step.Y

In combination with the vestibule floor door of a car, a shaft forsupporting the door, a lazy tong supported adjacent to the shaft, andmeans for connecting the shaft and lazy tong to cause a relativemovement of the lazy tong when the shaft is moved, a step' supportingarm having a rack b'ar, a step pivotally supported at the lower end ofthe stepsupportmg arm, a rack bar forming a y part of the bar, a shaftcarrying a gear in mesh with the teeth of the rack bar, and means fortransmitting movement of thc lazy tong to the last mentioned shaft toraise and lower the step supporting arm.

In combination with the vestibule floor door of a ear and stepssupported thereunder, an extension step operating mechanism, ineludinga` lazy tong construction, means for transmitting movement of the doorto the lazy tong, a step supporting arm supported under the steps of thecar, means fortransmitting movement of the lazy tong to the stepsupporting arm to raise and lower the same, an extensible step, armshaving connection with the step, said ear steps having cat out portionsformed therein, arms movable in the cut out portions and havingconnection with the step, said arms adapted to move within the cut outportions, and 'i means for supporting the arms.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own, we have heretoaffixed 'our signatures.

JESSE I-I. HARRISON. MATHEW WALKER,

